Welcoming transferred trooper true to Athol's nature

I was not surprised when I heard people in Athol were printing signs welcoming State Police Sgt. Sean Murphy to town.

I doubt most people knew of Sgt. Murphy until he released photographs of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to Boston Magazine in response to a photograph of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. But many people in the community support the statement he made by releasing the unflattering photographs of the alleged terrorist, and respect the fact that Sgt. Murphy likely knew he was going to get in trouble with the state police for doing it.

Whatever issues the state police have with Sgt. Murphy, his actions are internal. Whether he was assigned to Athol as punishment, which a state police spokesman denied to Boston.com, or not, is something state police are sorting out. The state police is an organization not unlike the military. It needs rules and to have everyone on the same page as it deals with complex issues.

As a newspaper reporter of many years, I understand why Rolling Stone Magazine did what it did. The news business reports, analyzes and hopefully makes clear the issues of the day. The photograph it used was in keeping with the style of cover the magazine runs. Although some people may not want to accept it, the news business is now the attention business. The photograph drew attention to the article about the surviving Tsarnaev brother.

As a slow but dedicated runner, I also have another view of things. I had many friends running in or at the marathon the day the bombs blew up. No one I know was injured or killed, but I have a pretty good idea how Sgt. Murphy felt. The deaths, both from the bombings and the aftermath, haunt me. He followed his conscience in releasing the photographs, and I respect that. Some people sit back and watch the world happen. Others step forward and hope their actions make sense.

The people who printed the signs welcoming Sgt. Murphy are all people I know and like. They did it for two reasons. First, they have not forgotten the bombings and understand Sgt. Murphy's actions. There were quite a few people from Athol and the North Quabbin region in Boston the day of the bombings. There is no sympathy locally for the bombers.

Not long after the bombings, a group of Athol residents put together a friendly, 4-plus mile run and walk to show solidarity with the victims. A few dozen people, some of whom had been in Boston the day of the bombings, showed up by word of mouth.

The second reason for the signs is they want Sgt. Murphy to know he is assigned to a good community, a friendly community.

Athol is a very welcoming community. Anyone who doesn't know that would benefit by stopping at the Blind Pig on Exchange Street. It is a pub where everyone seems to know your name, or wants to. The same welcome is found throughout the town, especially on the streets, where people are likely to smile and greet you.

The town is one of the most beautiful I know, with the Millers River meandering through downtown. It is also a community constantly looking to overcome adversity and the negative views of people who have never visited. As a reporter, I have probably contributed to the negative views of the town, having covered some of its turbulent politics, but I also know that at its core, it is a really nice place.

It also has a close relationship with the Athol state police barracks. The troopers there are visible members of the community and work well with the Athol Police Department in dealing with crime and emergencies. The barracks is a fixture, and working there should be an opportunity to any trooper.